Overview & Reviews

Volkswagen is an automaker based in Germany. Its products typically command a higher price than those of competing models, but the return is a more upscale driving and ownership experience.

In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned to build a small, inexpensive car at the request of Adolph Hitler. His answer -- a beetle-shaped sedan that was called a Volkswagen (German for "people's car") -- debuted two years later. Hitler had a town built near the plant for factory workers; he named it Kraft durch Freude Stadt (derived from the Nazi party's motto, "Joy through Strength"), and soon decided that Porsche's creation should be named the KdF-wagen (short for the "Joy through Strength" car). This upset Porsche, who was not political.

World War II delayed production of the vehicle; the factory suffered extensive damage during combat, and was ultimately taken over by the British Army. The company was renamed Volkswagen, and the town at the factory was renamed Wolfsburg (after Werner von Schulenberg of Wolfsburg, who had been forced to surrender his land for the construction of the town and factory). By the end of the 1940s, mass production of the Volkswagen Beetle had begun. The model made its first appearance on U.S. shores in 1949.

The 1950s saw Volkswagen broadening its product range, adding the Bus (Type 2) to its lineup. The Bus, especially, proved quite popular due to its versatility. And the Beetle, which went on to become the best-selling car of all time, quickly showed signs of being an enduring favorite, with more than 1 million models produced at the Wolfsburg factory by 1955. This decade also saw the debut of the Karmann Ghia sports car, which featured a sleek, Italian-designed two-seater body atop a Beetle platform.

Volkswagen's star rose during the 1960s, its success fueled largely by the breakout success of the Beetle. The car benefited from an effective advertising campaign and from an appearance in a popular Disney movie. By the close of the decade, Volkswagen's yearly output of Beetles topped the 1 million mark.

In 1972, with more than 15 million units assembled, the Beetle topped the world production record set by Ford's Model T. Mid-decade saw the launch of a new era of Volkswagens that had front-mounted, water-cooled engines driving the front wheels. The Passat (Dasher in the U.S.) was the first of the new breed and was built using standardized components that could be used interchangeably among other models in the manufacturer's lineup. The Passat was soon joined by the Golf (Rabbit in the U.S.), which met with immediate success. By the end of the decade, the manufacturer's lineup had grown to include the Scirocco sport coupe and the performance-oriented Golf/Rabbit GTI. The Beetle, however, was discontinued for the U.S. market.

The Golf grew in popularity during the '80s, becoming Volkswagen's most popular model. When a second generation of the car was built in 1983, it was crafted in a mostly automated process using robots -- marking the first time robots had been used in vehicle manufacture. By the mid-'80s, the U.S. version traded the Rabbit name for "Golf." The higher-performance Golf GTI helped the manufacturer make waves on the rally circuit. In 1986, Volkswagen Motorsport nabbed the title of Group A World Rally Champions.

Volkswagen saw its sales in the North American market tumble during the early '90s, but by the end of the decade, refocused marketing efforts and an increased emphasis on new products had brought about a turnaround in the company's fortunes. The popular New Beetle helped put the company back on the radar in the United States (though it fared less successfully in European markets). The body style was based on the classic Beetle, and it struck a chord with consumers who still had a place in their hearts for the iconic, cheerful-looking "love bug."

The new millennium saw Volkswagen moving into the luxury segment with the launch of the pricey Phaeton sedan and Touareg SUV. Though well-designed and executed, the Phaeton was a disappointment sales-wise, perhaps signaling unwillingness on the part of consumers to shell out premium dollars for a brand that lacks the cachet of established upscale names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Luckily, Volkswagen has seen success with other vehicles in its lineup, which currently includes everything from family-oriented sedans to roomy SUVs. Today, the automaker enjoys a reputation for crafting vehicles that offer refined handling and upscale accommodations.

User Reviews:

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  A Great Cruiser - 2002 Volkswagen Passat
  By wonderful - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I have put 37000 mostly highway miles on this car in 22 months. A quiet, powerful, fast, smooth cruiser on the open road; an A-4 in disguise on crooked roads. Best sedan I have ever driven. Reliability has been excellent. One stop fixed all four coils on a bad running engine. No other problems. Looked at high-end Accords, Camray, etc., but they are way behind in class and pesonality to the Passat.

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  1998 Jetta Gt - 1998 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jennifer - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This is a great little car that is extremley fun to drive. Nice exterior styling with Gt upgrades- tinted rear lights, spoiler, alloys silver racing dials. Very, Very safe car. Ive been in 2 head on collisions with this car at speeds over 60 km/hr and have walked out of those accidents with a couple bruises. The car goes nice on the highway and the fuel efficiency is fabulous.

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  Forget Jetta, the Golf is the bomb - 2002 Volkswagen Golf
  By Mitiko - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I got a 2002 GLS this month, and I am extremely happy about it. I looked at Mazda Protege 5, Hyundai and Ford Focus. I purchased the car primarily for long weekend trips. Here is why the car is the best choice: 1.Cheapest Insurance rate 2.Good Power 3. Superior features for its price point (none of the competitors have 6 airbags, abs, power everything, immobilizer, anti theft and day time running lights)4.Low depreciation 5.V. Large trunk (larger than Jettas) and you can haul everything when you put the seats down. 6.Increasing popularity (sales increasing)7.Safest car in its class My advise, test drive all the competitors and see for yourself.

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  golfmania - 2003 Volkswagen Golf
  By RGLAMR - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I test drove the honda civic, mazda 6, and a couple of other predomanatly asian builtcars, and nothing against those companys but the vw blows all of them out of the water, cant compare that german engineering.

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  Dont make this mistake!! - 2000 Volkswagen Jetta
  By JettaNeverAgain - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This car seems like a great value at first. On paper it has very good stats. It feels good in the test drive, looks good in the showroom.... Dont be fooled! If you buy this piece of junk you will regret it. Trust me. The build quality and reliability are terrible. At 5,000 miles 2nd gear started grinding. The catalytic converter had to be replaced. O2 sensor too. Now the distributor is gone. Add to that full brake replacement at 35,000 miles, and a myriad of other small problems (heated seats, sensors, etc.). Dont be fooled by this cars initial impression. Underneath, its junk. I will never ever buy a Volkswagen again!!!

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  where is my TDi? - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By wobisobi - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Rally nice SUV with far more to it that one would expect. Most people will not ever be able to fully use this SUV. Here at Edmunds it is labled as an AWD when in fact it is a 4WD. AWD doesnt have a high-low transfer case.

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  Great replacement for my van - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By NCLL - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Wanted to get away from my van but didnt want to go to a hugh SUV. Touareg was the perfect niche. Got the Air suspension system and Naviational set up. Extremly solid in hard turns (no roll or slop)and lots of pickup and go. Very quiet and smooth shifting. Comfort is very good Plenty roomy and no confined feeling Also my "Homelink" system would not work with my garage door opener. My previous van had the "Homelink" also and it worked perfectly.

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  Great V8 - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By doompatrol - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I cant wait to play with this in the winter.

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  Keeps on Amazing - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By Ss28 - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This is one great SUV. Great on road feel with the air suspension, tons of adjustability and versatility and nice pick up from the v8. the interior is very elegant with nicely appointed leather. Wood trim is not bad and the guages are beautiful. ONly complaint is the stock sound system. I have no problem with the gas mileage as I anticipated it to be bad before I bought. Back seat space isnt great but I mainly keep the seats folded for hauling my dogs.

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  this beast is really something - 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
  By ossme - November 7 - 10:00 am

  simply the best midsize luxury SUV in the market